Sidney Beck Poet Couplet

Kentucky Coal Mining 1930

KENTUCKY   COAL   MINING    1930

Behind me men deepening  my gashes 
And a danger as always from gas flashes
Ahead of  me  more seams wait for my  cuts
More years spent sick to the guts

Rock rock everywhere and all is black
Roof above me scraping my back 
A pile of work for which there is little thanks
A mile of earth above held up by God and two planks

And if it moves we become fossils  like the coal 
For  the mine boss’ll  bury us body and soul
The darkness is not just  here in the coal seams
But in how the coal miner’s life seems

The endless darkness and heat is like hell
Hopeless  prisoners  walled up in jail 
To  digging a  grave myself   I  resign 
This  job is a  merciless killer   --  it’s mine

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Written by Sydney Peck
Entered in Debbie Guzzi's  Contest    Down in the Dark Dungeon

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Carol Sunshine Brown July 26, 2012 at 5:59 AM Congratulations on your win in Debbie's "Dungeon"contest Sidney. Love, Carol

David Williams July 23, 2012 at 3:05 AM Sidney congrats on your win, love it..why is your name spelt two different ways?..David

Debbie Guzzi July 22, 2012 at 3:32 PM Amazing how so little is getting read or commented on ..shame shame! [well it's summer here and we were having killer heat waves..probably folks can't bear to be inside?] The was a town in Wales called Beauvisage hahahaha a SLATE mining ton those mines were hella creepy! Congrad's on your fine verse winning big! Light & Love

Linda-Marie Sweetheart July 22, 2012 at 7:35 AM congrats on a thrilling write and win Sidney..

Rhonda Johnson-Saunders July 21, 2012 at 9:28 PM Congrats on your win, Sidney! As I commented on Cyndi's poem, my ggrandfather died in a coal mining accident in West Virginia, 1956. I am in awe of the dangers these brave men face everyday and saddened by the loss of fathers and sons. Everyday they go to work, it's like they're going off to war. A powerful write from you. Love and Blessings, Rhonda